Krejcir seeks transfer to hospital

Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir arrives for his extradition hearing at the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 29 August 2013. Krejcir wants to remain in South Africa and is fighting attempts by the National Prosecuting Authority to extradite him to his home country, the Czech Republic, where he faces an 11-year prison sentence. The Refugee Appeal Board refused him refugee status last year. He is appealing the decision. The State and the defence had agreed to postpone the matter pending the board's decision. Krejcir was sentenced in the Czech Republic last year after being convicted in absentia of money-laundering. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir arrives for his extradition hearing at the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 29 August 2013. Krejcir wants to remain in South Africa and is fighting attempts by the National Prosecuting Authority to extradite him to his home country, the Czech Republic, where he faces an 11-year prison sentence. The Refugee Appeal Board refused him refugee status last year. He is appealing the decision. The State and the defence had agreed to postpone the matter pending the board's decision. Krejcir was sentenced in the Czech Republic last year after being convicted in absentia of money-laundering. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

Published Nov 25, 2013

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Johannesburg - Controversial Czech businessman Radovan Krejcir filed an urgent application on Sunday night to have him moved from prison to a private hospital.

His defence lawyers cited a fear of renal failure because of the condition of the fugitive’s kidneys.

Twitter lit up on Sunday night as Krejcir’s lawyers put on the stand a doctor who told the court he was a gastrointestinal surgeon who had been in private practice since 1995.

eNCA reported that the doctor said Krejcir’s blood test results could prove his claims that he was repeatedly tortured and subjected to electric shocks by the police. The doctor said Krejcir’s body showed signs of significant muscle damage.

Sapa reported that earlier it was revealed that Krejcir had laid a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and attempted murder against the SAPS.

Sunday night’s urgent application took place as the police watchdog said it had launched an investigation into allegations that police tortured Krejcir.

Krejcir’s lawyers claimed on Saturday their client had been tazered and throttled with a plastic bag after being arrested on Friday night. A case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and attempted murder was opened at Protea Glen police station in Soweto.

“At least five vehicles were in the motorcade which pulled over in a rural isolated area where our client was forced out of the vehicle by an officer electrocuting him with a tazer gun,” said Ulrich Roux, a director of BDK Attorneys, in a statement.

“After being forced to his knees and asked several unanswerable questions, our client was tortured by having a plastic bag placed over his head and being suffocated until he lost consciousness.”

 

Roux said that when Krejcir regained consciousness, he was tazered again, while a chemical substance was poured over cuts sustained on his wrists and forearms, causing “severe pain”.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini on Sunday confirmed they were investigating the matter, but would not be drawn to indicate if they had spoken to Krejcir.

“We are investigating. Investigate means you talk to all the relevant people… the victim… the person who says he was tortured, but I will not give you a blow-by-blow account to say yes we’ve interviewed this person.”

 

Police spokesman Solomon Makgale would not comment on the allegations that police had tortured Krejcir. “That has to be handed over to Ipid,” he said.

The Star

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